big-guy Loc: Peterborough Ontario Canada

I am looking for a program that can create a digital proof album that I can copy onto some media and give to clients. I need it to show the proofs along with size and price options and a (probably a link to) a shopping cart. I would also like each proof to be click-able to show a larger file and I would prefer it to be difficult to copy the proofs themselves and if not I can watermark.

I can create such a beast with much hard work but am hoping "there is an app for that". This would be PC based. Anyone in the know? :?:

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

You could just copy them all into a folder and put them on a disc or flash drive. Is that what you mean? A text file could give any related information.

You could also use several of the available online services for posting and selling.

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

Not sure about "an app for that" but there are sites that allow visitation by invitation only. I believe Flickr has an offer and I know Canon's CPS offers Gateway, and invitation only site. There are some others that allow the user to set up an album or section that a viewer can visit with the use of a password.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

My smugmug site lets me password protect galleries and also limit sizes for viewing if I so desire. That's what Id use.

picpiper Loc: California

The only way to bring your criteria together is not through an app. You should be looking for a professional photography web site host.

I Googled (actually DuckDuckGo'ed) "photographers marketing web sites with shopping cart"

This looked interesting:
http://www.picturespro.com/sytist/

Here's a review and other possibilities:
http://photography.tutsplus.com/articles/5-professional-photography-website-services-compared--photo-4227

Sure, there are several ways you could cobble together local apps and photo hosts, but you would undoubtedly be spending more time trying to get it to work than you would be devoting to shooting and customer contact. Plus, it would be very difficult to build a frictionless experience for your clients. For you to be able to give them proofs on a CD or USB stick AND for them to be able click on a link to order you would actually be creating and giving them the proofs wrapped up in an HTML file (web page) for viewing (and clicking shopping cart links) in their browser - and you would have to have a web site on the backend for the shopping cart. You a pretty good coder?

Even if you have an inclination to go BIY you should check out the hosting sites geared to professional photographers - if for no other reason than to get some good ideas before embarking out on your own.

lightcatcher Loc: Farmington, NM (4 corners)

Another possibility 500px.com

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

I use Printroom.com but am not sure I'd recommend them right now. They have been slow to issue my profit checks.

But they offer all you are looking for, on a website instead of a disk. I upload watermarked proofs that are no larger than 500 to 700 pixels on the long side. They appear in albums that can be set up with a password, if that's preferred. Click on any of the thumbnails to see larger version and over 100 different prints types, sizes or printable products. Only after an item is ordered, I go back in and finish the image as needed, then uploaded the full size image for printing.

There is a way to display the catalogs on a laptop, offline. However I don't know of any way to put it on disk.

I have a PDF copy of my price catalog, copyright info and other documents I can put on a disk, if someone asks me for one of those instead of using the website (that happens maybe once or twice a year). The vast majority of customers are happy to use the website.

There's a $199 annual fee for the unlimited image storage of the site that I'm using. There are free and lower priced, but more limited accounts available, too.

There's a shopping cart and people can use a credit card or send payment other ways. If someone wants to deal directly with me I can set up what's called a Lab Order to be sent out to them, too. All in all, it ends up costing me about 1/3 of my gross sales for the convenience of online sales.

I know you can set up similar on a number of other sites such as Smugmug, Sportshooter.com and more.

bkyser Loc: Fly over country in Indiana

You may want to try Shootproof.com I use them for event photos, but I can tell you 100% that you make a LOT more money by actually sitting down with the clients and taking orders. The shootproof type programs are OK if you have large groups of people or clients from out of town.

Their bottom tier is free, and you can set your own prices, use their printers, or choose your own and you do the work, whatever. Lots of options. Like I said, if you really want to make money, work face to face.